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Friday, July 28, 2017

The B.P.R.D. is an organization tasked with protecting the world from monsters. More often than not the group prevails, even if it's a tough battle. In B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #1 from Dark Horse Comics, the stakes might be higher than ever. The issue is written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, illustrated by Laurence Campbell and colored by Dave Stewart.
Before they were vanquished by the BPRD, Lovecraftian monsters created a Hell on Earth. Now Liz Sherman leads a crew through monster-infested ruins on the most important rescue mission of her life. As society tries to rebuild, strange cults vie for influence, and a demon emerges to lead the way...

As soon as B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #1 begins, Mignola and Allie let the reader know that there are still monsters out there and the B.P.R.D. is needed to put up a fight. In that regard, the script is very straightforward in that it showcases Liz Sherman and her crew putting up a fight to protect Earth. On the back-end of the issue though, Mignola and Allie offer up the potential of a new big bad who could be pretty intense to square off against the B.P.R.D. down the road. Mignola and Allie pace the issue very well in letting the events develop pretty organically. There's a scant amount of dialogue throughout as much of the action carries things, but the dialogue that is there is very succinct in its approach.

Campbell's artwork is fantastic throughout the issue. His style blends together the ferocity of the monsters with the otherwordly sensibilities of the B.P.R.D. itself. Campbell relies on heavy linework to emphasize those monsters, but what's interesting is his use of perspective as he focuses on different parts of the shots. For instance, one shot shows a character in the foreground depicted with heavy shading and somewhat vague while the monster looming the background feels more detailed. Stewart's colors further embellish this effect, providing hues that wash out the artwork in a way that gives the book a post-apocalyptic tone.

B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #1 is another strong entry in the B.P.R.D. universe that gives its characters plenty of room. Liz Sherman is more than capable of leading the charge against monsters, although there's a vile partnership brewing that may be extremely difficult to contend with. Mignola and Allie partner together on a script that feels like a B.P.R.D. tale and takes its time to unfold. The artwork by Campbell is gritty and fits with the tone of the book extraordinarily well. B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #1 is a great read that's definitely worth your time as it shows off a great story and some great art.